TOF, Issue No 07, November 2005 - Infonet-Biovision

8 The Organic Farmer Nr. 7 November 2005
The beans that can reduce malnutrition
Soya beans are of great value. They
have the highest concentration of
proteins, vitamins and minerals of
any crop.
By The Organic Farmer
Despite its high nutritional value,
many farmers in Kenya and many
other countries in Africa do not
grow soya beans. This is mainly
because most people do not know its
value. Another reason is that unlike
other food crops such as maize and
beans, it needs processing into flour
before it is consumed. In recent
years, however soya bean is
becoming increasingly popular with
farmers who have discovered its
importance as a source of cheap
protein. It has the highest protein
content of any food crop.
Soya beans have all the nutrients
required by the body including
proteins, fats, carbohydrates,
vitamins and minerals. Just to show
its value, 1 kg of Soya bean has the
same nutritional value as 2 kg of
meat or 40 eggs. It is free of
cholesterol and is therefore a healthy
food crop. Its oil is easily digested in
the body. People now grow it for
blending with traditional food crops
such as maize or sorghum to make
highly nutritious porridge or ugali.
Many Kenyan families use roasted
ground soya beans to make a healthy
caffeine-free drink that they prefer to
tea or coffee.
Besides improving the diet, soya
bean can also contribute to soil
fertility by fixing nitrogen through
rhizobium bacteria in the roots.
Maize and sorghum yields can be
increased by up to 25 percent if
intercropped with soya beans.
Varieties for all regions
There are many varieties of soya
beans that have been developed in
Kenya to suit the various climatic
regions and soils in the country. The
Gazelle variety is mainly grown in
parts of Central Province and
Laikipia region. The SCSI and Nyala
varieties have been found to do well
in Kitale area. The German
Technical Cooperation Agency
(GTZ) has developed the
promiscuous soya bean variety that
can grow anywhere in the country.
Farmers are advised to confirm
varieties suitable to their areas before
purchasing seeds.
Alternatively farmers can obtain
high quality seed including
rhizobium from Kenya Seed
Company agents near them (Seeds
will be available before the planting
season in 2006, since they have run
out of stock at the moment). Most
other seed companies also stock
seeds.
It is easy to grow Soya
Soya beans can grow well in deep,
fertile and well-drained soils. They
prefer slightly acidic soils - basically
they can do well in all maizegrowing
areas of the country. They
grow best in a humid climate with
plenty of rain during the growing
period (35-60 cm of rain is adequate).
Plants can tolerate drought
conditions after the seedling stage.
However they can perform better
when the rainfall is well distributed
during the growing period.
Land preparation: Prepare a welldrained
area of land and ensure green
matter residues are well decomposed
before planting.
Planting: Before planting, test the
viability of the seeds to ensure it will
germinate. The test is important
because soya bean seed looses its
viability 6 months after harvesting.
This can be done by planting 100
seeds, if 75 of the seeds germinate,
then the viability is acceptable. You
will need 25-30 kg good quality seed
per acre. Plant at a depth of 5cm in
rows 45-50 centimetres apart. Plant
two seeds per hole.
Fertilizer application: Farmers are
advised to use farmyard manure if
available at the rate of one handful
per hole. They can also use 50 kg of
DAP fertilizer per acre. Use one
packet of rhizobium inoculants for
every 100 kg of soya seed. (A 100-g
packet costs Ksh 80). If the soil is
poor, potassium can be added at the
rate of 20-32 kg per acre. Mix
fertilizer with the soil to avoid direct
contact with the seed. Soya beans
can also be planted in rotation with a
well-fertilized cereal crop such as
Soya beans
PhotoTOF
maize wheat or barley to avoid the
use of fertilizer.
Spacing: The holes should be 5-10
cm apart within a row.
Intercropping with maize: plant two
rows of soya between the maize
rows. When intercropped with
maize there is no need of applying
extra fertilizer as the beans can use
the fertilizer applied to maize.
Weeding: The crop should be
weeded two times during the
growing period .
Harvesting: Different soya bean
varieties mature at different times.
The early maturing types take about
75 days while the late ones take
about 100 days. Harvesting should
be done when the leaves turn yellow.
Yields of up to 11-90 kg bags per acre
can be attained depending on the
variety and region of the country
grown.
Storage: The beans should be stored
in a cool dry place to ensure the
seeds are not spoilt (preferably at
10% moisture content). As human
food, it can be stored for up to 3
years without chemical dressing or
change in nutritional quality.
The Organic Farmer
in December
How to reduce
post-harvest losses?